By Thomas S, Orwat, Jr.
Multi-platinum selling hit makers the Goo Goo Dolls are getting EVERYTHING this Christmas, and rightfully so. With the recent release of their chart topping holiday record, “It’s Christmas All Over,” Goo Goo Dolls’ members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac have taken their band and brand to the next level, due to brilliant planning, unique marketing and their undeniable ability to write very catchy and memorable songs.
While many established bands and music artists disappeared in 2020 or really struggled navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, Rzeznik and Takac played it smart.
During March, when it become obvious that all touring for the remainder of 2020 would most likely be cancelled, the Goo Goo Dolls started to formulate game plan B. They ultimately decided that if they couldn’t get to their fans to their shows, they would get to them through their computers, and make the fan’s living rooms the new concert halls.
Almost immediately, Rzeznik and Takac started streaming charity driven solo performances from their home computers to thousands of fans, keeping the Goo Goo Dolls on the minds of music lovers starved for entertainment and anything that resembled the live music experience. These performances kept the Goo Goo Dolls in the spotlight, gaining the attention of both national and local media.
Shortly thereafter, Rzeznik and Takac, along with Goo Goo Dolls touring members Brad Fernquist (guitar), Craig Macintyre (drums) and Jim McGorman (keyboards), ascended to the L.A. studio Palomino Sound (with proper social distancing) and started recording a release that would not only appeal to to their devoted fan base, but also expose them to a new and massive audience. The band finished up recording in their home base of Buffalo, NY at the Takac owned GCR studio.
The final result was “It’s Christmas All Over,” an incredibly satisfying, well crafted, retro style 10 track holiday record produced by Rzeznik along with McGorman and Fernquist. This release consisted of several classic Christmas cover songs and three original songs, including the critically acclaimed, soon-to-be a holiday classic, “This is Christmas.” This track, already a huge hit, really showcases Rzeznik’s incredible talent as an extremely gifted songwriter. The band also released some heart warming music videos to accompany the record.
After the October 30th release of “It’s Christmas All Over,” the Goo Goo Dolls embarked on a massive press publicity tour, appearing on NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Live with Kelly and Ryan. They also performed on the Rockefeller Center tree lighting special, and when one of the hosts mistakenly referred to them as a classic rock band, twitter exploded, creating even more exposure for the band.
But the Goo Goo Dolls weren’t finished with their holiday domination yet. With the help of Fantracks, a new interactive company that specializes in streaming live music (they also broadcasted a fantastic live Goo Goo Dolls performance last October), the Goo Goo Dolls put together an innovative and entertaining augmented-reality holiday musical that would rival any of the classic TV Christmas specials of the past. This premiered on Saturday Dec 12th and can still be viewed at https://fantracks-live.myshopify.com/
With 2020 finally (and thankfully) coming to a close, and a vaccine ready to make the world normal again, the Goo Goo Dolls have positioned themselves to dominate in 2021, while many other bands will be just emerging from a year long slumber. A job well done, guys. www.googoodolls.com
For more Goo Goo Dolls holiday specials, please check out Robby Takac’s – ROBBY CLAUSE’S STREAMING ON THE WEB SING ALONG THING ….. ALL TO BENEFIT MUSIC IS ART on December 18th. Click here for more information.
Thomas S. Orwat Jr.
RockMusicStar.com 
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